A Tale Swiftly Told
by DrkVrtx
Summary: Collection of drabbles, 100-200 words, exploring various aspects of the LoK universe and the events that take place within it. Some will be canon, others AU, but settings will be made clear where necessary. Current: Believe In Me I
1. When One Loses Everything

He forced her to her knees before him, forced her to lift her eyes to meet his empty, black gaze. She fought as his thumb moved with mocking gentleness to settle at her brow, but it was all in vain. He pronounced judgment upon her without delay.

"Farewell, Avatar".

A flowing stream froze over and shattered.

Poison claimed the fertile soil, rotting to the core.

The proud flame spluttered, choked and died.

She was left to stand, to cower, and to tremble before the darkness that encompassed her whole. She was lost.

And then the Wind whispered in her ear.


	2. Temptation

She actually came alone. Foolish girl. Such a pretty little thing. Such creatures should not walk the streets at night. Darkness belongs to the predator, to men of unsavoury character.

Here she is before me, in her rightful place on her knees. I cast my shadow over her; it is alluring to see her struggle so passionately. Something within me speaks; it is the voice of a primal instinct, a base desire instilled into the core of every man.

I am the victor and I must take the spoils. I have won, and now I must _conquer_. I desire to quench the defiant fire in her eyes, to watch her break beneath me. I reach out and draw a finger along the flesh of her cheek. She is repulsed; I savour her enraged hiss. Here we are, all alone but for the eyes of my loyal men.

I am tempted.


	3. Broken

One does not manipulate the foundations of the world at a whim; it takes great strength, and the solidarity of one's inner self. To wield such power one's composure must be sure, one's stance wide and poised, and the body appropriately conditioned to push and pull, to twist and bend. One's mind must be focused and ears attentive in order to hear the subtle tremors of the earth. In short, the heart of an earthbender must be strong and true, for otherwise one cannot tame the ancient beast.

So why did Bolin break when he saw his brother kiss her?


	4. A Mother's Legacy

"You're never going to do this to me again!"

It was the fourth time she had made this promise to her husband as she strained and laboured, her brow slick with sweat and his hand crushed in her iron grip. She lifted her voice, cursing the heavens and earth as she pushed with all her might, screaming as her body threatened to break. But then all her pain and ire seemed to fade to nothing as a small voice announced its entry into the world with a fierce cry.

Unconditional love began to blossom in her eyes as the child was swaddled and laid carefully into her arms. The complaint she had once made to her mother-in-law was long forgotten as she held her son. She adored him with all that she was.

"He's beautiful", she murmured.

"He is", Tenzin agreed.

In the generations to come, the land of the airbenders would be restored, their population reaching and even surpassing the numbers it had once enjoyed. Its culture would once again be renowned across the world, and their ways and traditions reverenced. And Pema's name would be engraved into history, for from her loins did she bring forth a nation.


	5. Oops

She tasted so good; the thought enveloped him as he embraced her lips and tussled with her tongue. Her voice, low and passionate, demanded more of him and he did not hesitate to give. She pulled at his hair, his arms, his jacket, wanting and taking unburdened by shame. Her long, dark locks slipped through his fingers and he breathed in her intoxicating scent like a desperate man, eager to feel alive. He had dreamt of this; the reality was so much better. He whispered her name as they kissed.

"Korra…"

The young woman stiffened; her emerald gaze grew cold.


	6. The Mask

She wore the mask well; she had constructed it carefully over the long days, weeks and months.

"Ms. Sato", called a voice from amidst the rumbling sea of reporters. "Can you tell us about your current relationship with your father?"

"That will not be discussed at this time", she answered smoothly, smiling politely at the man.

She memorised his face; she would make him hurt for asking her that. Questions about her father were forbidden. Future Industries, _her_ company, may have been weakened, but its influence still had a broad reach. She would crush that man. But for now, she wore her mask.

She had learned quickly that the world was brutal and cruel, that to display the fragility of her emotions was tantamount to suicide. And so she had begun to wear her mask. Beneath it she hid herself from the eyes of the city, from the eyes of men and women who would pounce and destroy her if she gave them the merest chance. She wore her mask well, too well. The face she showed the world became her in truth, and one day Asami would look only to see that she no longer knew who she was.


	7. Sins Too Great

After all that he has done, after all that _we_ have done, he would tell me that there is a second chance for us. He would tell me that we are deserving of it, for we are kin and all that remains in this world for each other. We each sought to grind a city and its people beneath our heel and he would tell me that we ought to live, to change, to forget…

We do not deserve that chance; forgive me, brother. I know you too well; you would never forget.

We are not meant for this world.


	8. One Moment

I looked back for one moment before I leapt, just for one moment. Our eyes met and suddenly there was only the two of us.

He once broke my heart, choosing the love of another. Oh, how I hated him. And now here I am, prepared to leap to save that which does not belong to me, though I did spend the long nights dreaming of it, once upon a time. A family. With him. My heart his; his mine. Why, I once asked. _Why..._

He cannot be and never was mine to have, but for one, single blessed moment I am with him again. I look past the children I wish I had borne for him, and the wife I sorely longed to be. I see only him. I tell him I am doing this to save everyone, but he knows the truth. I am doing it for him.


	9. Fight To Win

She is fighting for her life, fighting for survival. Her team has fallen apart, and deep down in her heart she knows it's her fault.

As they are granted one last chance, she hears the misery in their voice and sees the utter lack of passion in their eyes. They don't play like a team. In fact, they barely even play as individuals. Mako and Bolin are shadows of their former selves. The brothers cannot meet each other's eye and neither seem eager to stand in the same zone as her, let alone dwell in her presence. They disappear over the edge of the playfield, and she is left alone.

Korra fights as she has never fought before. Her team is depending on her, even if they don't realise it yet. If she falls here, everything will be lost to her. Friendship, respect, trust, love – all of it erased if she fails. For the moment, she is alone, but this is a place with which she is familiar. It is a place within which she can excel. She calls the element of her heritage to her fingertips and schools her chaotic thoughts.

In this place, failure does not exist.


	10. Blessed

Senna always knew Korra would be special. The night upon which she was conceived was one of unbridled passion, and as her belly grew thick, Senna felt her daughter kick sharply, eager to see the light of the outside world. When she was born, Korra screamed for the entire world to hear. But it was her eyes that told Senna she would be something more than ordinary. Her eyes, bright and vivid blue, were the windows to her soul, and there Senna saw as only a mother could see. Her precious baby girl was not just special; she was blessed.


	11. Permission

"You're letting me wear it? I…I was only joking."

"It's fine. I want you to wear it."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. It looks good on you. Just take care of it."

"I will."

"Because if you lose it, I'm going to strangle you. With the scarf. After I find it again."

"Ha. Don't worry, I'll be careful. I know how much this means to you."

"Hmm…"

"What?"

"Oh. It's...nothing."

"Tell me anyway."

"I was just thinking, that's all."

"And?"

"I haven't let anyone else wear it before."

"Oh."

"Go on, get out of here. Have a good night."

"…I will."


	12. At Peace

I watch him sleep sometimes. Mako's often quiet, often silent and brooding, but this is the only time he's at peace. He's always been provider and protector, sacrificing his own comfort for my sake. We have a roof over our head now though. Now I can watch over him instead.

It doesn't happen right away; as he falls asleep, at first he frowns. He's worrying about something. Rent, food, our tournament chances…but eventually he slips into true unconsciousness. And that's when I see it. As his mind goes blank and the crease of his brow softens, Mako is at peace.


	13. My Beloved

My dear wife, can you forgive me? I am doing this for you. It was always for you. They took you away from me, you who were the light of my world. I could find no reason to live a day without you, save for our daughter. But she has betrayed us, my Beloved.

Look, she dwells with those she should hate. She invites them into the sanctity of our home and tarnishes the beauty of your memory. How dare she offer board to those who destroyed all that we knew! And lo, now she would stand in my way. She fights against me when she should fight _with _me. She is lost to me, to us, my Beloved.

But nothing can deter me. I will fight for you until the very end, until the ones who stole you from me are brought to terrible justice and the world itself is safe from them. I will destroy them all, and no one will stand in my way. Not even our daughter. Forgive me, my Beloved.


	14. The Chatterbox

Ikki was a chatterbox, that's what everyone called her. Peace and quiet were foreign concepts when one was around her. Her mouth moved a mile a minute. But there was one moment that stole her voice, a moment that struck her cold.

Masked men were all around her. They led her mother away. They struck her father when he roared his anguish. Jinora and Meelo struggled, spitting and biting at the hands that endeavoured to bind them. But Ikki was still. Ikki was silent. Ikki was scared.

Her little heart was so loud, thumping in her chest as she was tied roughly to a stake. They wrapped cloth tight around her head and pushed it thickly into her mouth. But they needn't have. Ikki had not a word to say.

Soon, the platform began to rise. When she saw the man that waited for them, Ikki knew fear.


	15. A Monster Made

They killed my mother and poisoned the mind of my father. They turned him against me, his child. They slandered my name. They called me unfit, unworthy; a scheming, traitorous, lying bitch. They said all I had left to live for was failure. And yet, they expected me to bow my head and keep my peace.

Fools.

I stand now at the heart of a city fallen to ruin. The Equalists flocked to me when I at last dared to call them. It was only natural, they said, that the daughter should take up her father's banner. No one else expected it. No one saw the knife coming. No one expected me to be anything more than a disgraced, lonesome woman.

Perhaps that's the reason I did this. I only once knew love, and yet it was only days before I knew heartbreak. She was his soul mate, he told me, and they were meant for each other. But the simple truth is that she, the greatest of them, was selfish, conniving. She came and took and I, feeble and weak as dictated by nature, had no choice but to defer. But no longer.

My father failed; I will not.


	16. Forgotten Promises

"Can I ask you something?" she says, sitting astride him.

"Sure."

"What's your favourite thing about me?"

"Your eyes," he replies.

"You didn't even need to think about it."

"Nope. Simple question; easy answer."

"Why, though?" she asks.

"They sparkle, like gemstones," he answers. "Precious and rare. One of a kind."

He meets her lips, and she sighs softly.

"How about me?"

"My favourite thing about you?"

He nods, and she begins to trace a path down to his chest.

"Your heart," she answers.

"Why's that?"

"I never thought anyone would have room in theirs for me."

He lifts a hand to push raven locks away from her face, afterwards holding her gaze.

"There'll always be room for you there."

She smiles warmly. "I'm glad."


	17. Believe In Me I

Korra has her mother's eyes, bright like stars, and her mother's smile, crooked and full of humour. With each day, in fact, despite how little her years, I am told that her features favour Senna more so than my own. I could live with that, I thought, for my wife tells me Korra has inherited my strength and…stubbornness. (Ha, she is such a wilful child.) I wonder if she will also, like me, be able to bend the waves and waters. Senna thinks she will. Says she could feel it in her bones from the very beginning.

Mother's intuition.

It is a little strange then, that I am watching Korra, my daughter, create fire.

Her skin is dark, her eyes blue and she chatters loudly with our tongue. Korra is Water Tribe, I'm sure, and she looks like her mother. But as I look at her, I can't…I can't see me.

Whispers; they were always there. Senna is not of this village, but another. No one knew her, not really. And when she sees Korra bend fire, Senna laughs with joy. She turns to me and claims that our daughter is the Avatar.

I am not so sure.


End file.
